Knockdown box



E. T. HUNTER KNOCKDOWN BOX July 11, 195o 5 Sheets--Shee'rI 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1947 /A/VE/V'O ELDRED 7.' HUNTER BY Q-fz/n @um ZU ,ZE AGENT E. T. HUNTER KNOCKDOWN BOX July 11, 195o s sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1947 R www MN. HU T.. mw w uf AGENT Patented July 11, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE KNOCKDOWN BOX Eldred Tait Hunter, Washington, D. C., assignor to Material Progress Corporation, Washington, D. C., a corporation of Delaware Application August 13, 1947, Serial No. 768,356

, 3 Claims. 1

My invention relatescrate, the several parts of which are held together without the use of the usual type of fastener and may be readily set up or taken apart for trans-shipment in a knock-down state. consists in certain details `of construction and combination of parts .asV are shown in the accompanying drawings and described in this specication.

It is an object of this invention to construct a box that may not be opened during transit for the removal of a portion or all of the contents thereof and reassembled so that the pilfering is not evident until the nal. destination is reached.

This is accomplished by having interlocking` Figure 1 is a perspective assembled View of the box.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. '1.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an expanded view of the box showing the method of assembling the various parts.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a modification of this invention with the top removed showing the interior construction of the box.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

The box as shown in the expanded view, Fig. 5, consists of two end panels 35 and 36, two side panels 30 and 3|, a bottom panel 32 and a top panel 33 and a center panel 34.

In the construction of this box I show cleats I0 at the top and cleats I2, I2 at the bottom of one end panel 35 having the hole I9 for the admission of the seal or bolt, and the cleats II, II and I2, I2 on the other end panel 3B. The cleats on the bottom panel 32 are I3, I3 on the upper surface of this panel which overlaps and interlocks with the cleats I2, I2 on the bottom of both of the end panels and the four exterior cleats I4 which together with the cleats I2, I2 which are to a knock-down box or` ItA overlapped by the ends of cleats I3, I3 support the weight of the box when the box is assembled. The side panels 3B and 3l are not identical but are mirror-image sections and have the interior and exterior cleats I5, I5', the interior cleat I5 being longer than the exterior cleat I5' which allows for the cleat I3 of the bottom panel and the interlocking cleat I6 of the top panel 33. The top panel 33 has cleats 2I, 22 and 23, 23 on its upper surface and cleats I5, I 6 on its lower surfaceY extending beyond one end of the panel to interlock with the cleats II, II of the end panel 33.

In assembling this box the bottom panel is laid in place, the two end panels are so placed that the long cleat I3 overlaps the bottom cleats I2, I 2 of the end panels. The side panels are brought into position so that the interior long cleat I5 vcomes on the outside of the end panels 35, 33, and inside of the bottom cleat I3 thereby giving an interlocking joint which cannot be disassembled without the removal of the side panel. Each lis held in place at the top by the side cleat I6 of the top panel which is longer than the panel and extends over the top of the short cleat I5 and under the long cleats II, II of the end panel 3S, the cleats I5 being on the outside of the side panel'and prevents the removal of the panel and thekhole I8 at the end of the top panel is aligned withthe hole I9 in the end panel 35, both of these holes going through the panel itself and the cleat attached thereto and permits the fastening of the end panel and the top panel by means of a seal or bolt so as to maintain the hole in alignment and prevents the removal of any part of this box without actually breaking one of the panels or cleats. All of the panels are permanently fastened to their cleats by means of clinched staples which prevent the removal of the fastenings and their replacement without being readily discernable by visual inspection.

This invention also includes the insertion of an interior panel 34 which is held in place by being mortised into the side panels 30 and 3| and the exterior cleats 24 and 25 placed on the exterior surfaces thereof. This panel is also mortised into the cleat 23 placed on the exterior surface of the bottom panel 32 and is brought into position immediately below the cleat 21 on the upper surface of the top panel. This gives additional rigidity to the box and will allow an interior partition which will divide the box into two parts. This partition 34 may be used as a base for fastening the articles that are packed therein. Examples of this type are small motors which may be bolted to the panel 34. A series of panels such as are sho-wn in Fig. 6, may be assembled as described above to give a box containing a plurality of compartments which may be used to ship small articles, in particular bottled goods. It is readily seen that where the center partition is shown as being mortised into the adjoining panelsI and the cleats exterior thereto, with the exception ofthe top panel, it could of course have these cleats mortised and extend into the cleats exterior to the top panel also. Where mortised and tenon joints are shown as a means of holding the center panel 34 in place interior cleats on eachside of this'panel could be used to give a tongue and groove method of holding this panel in place.

My invention is illustrated by the above del scription but it should not be limited thereto as certain variations are possible and maybe desirable, for instance, two holes could be placed in the cleat lil-ofthe end panel and lin the cleat 2i of the top panel. lThese holes would permit double sealing or a stronger bolt fastening or both. The invention is described as having clinched stapledfastenings but any type of permanent non-removable fastenings may be used.

In this manner a new demountable box is constructed which :is characterized by the fact that the slidesv of the box are-fitted with reenforcing cleats, which cleats lie wholly without the assembled box-giving a finished box having perfect rectangular Vcross section at all points. All of the cleats are permanently fastened and the only removable fastenings that are us-ed are the seal or boltsfat the end of the top section.

The advantages of this box are self-evident. It allows trans-shipment of goods in a light, strong .container where tampening with the container may be detected by a casual inspection. The

Aply-wood panels are held rigidly by cleats placed at the ends thereof so that they may not be sprung out of position and the overlapping cleats of the adjacent panels hold the box in an assembled condition. There are no cleats on the interior parts of the box so a perfect packing container is obtained without any interior projections. The cleats are so arranged o-n theoutside as to give a perfect crate so far as the outer surface is concernedso that it may be stacked in the hold of a ship or palletized with the greatest advantage. This would not be true of a box or crate having a fiat side with protuberances at each end only thereof which couldinterlock andcause difculty in stacking.

This invention contemplates the use of a solid. sheet or slats in making the panels referred to above. In the example cited in this application ply-wood has been used but the invention should not be limited to ply-wood as it comes within the scope of this invention to use any suitable substance.

What is claimed is:

1. A knock-down box y"having a solid bottom panel having cleats on itsupper surface and having cleats on its lower surface, said upper 'cleats being longer than the panel, one solid end panel having upper and lower cleats on the inner and outer surface which cleats are longer than-the'panel,` the lower cleats interlocking with the long cleats of the bottom panel, a second solid .end panel having cleats on the bottom inner and outer surface which lcleats interlock with the long cleats of the .bottom panel and having a single cleat on the top outer surface, two solid side panels having .inner and outer cleats at both ends, which cleats interlock with the longcleats on the bottom panel and overlap 'the edgesfof the end panels, a solid top panel having upper and lower cleats, said lower cleats extending beyond one end of the panel so that the cleats interlock vunder the upper cleats of the endpanel and come fiush'with the interior surface of the other end panel and overlap the upper edges of the side panels, and fastening means at the flush end of the top panel.

2. A box as claimed in claim 1, having a fastening and sealing means at one point at one end thereof.

3. A box as lclaimed in claim 1 having interior divisional panels removably fastened through the adjoining surfaces.

ELDRED TAIT HUNTER.

REFERENCES CTED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES `PATENTS Number Name Date 1,309,341 Ritter VJuly 8, 1919 1,416,542 Young May 16, 1922 1,673,180 Brodtkorb et al. June 12, 1928 1,987,727 Wolfenden Jan. l15, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date `386,092 Great -Britain Jan. 12, 1933 

